Musa Conference – first announcement
9 May 2007
Purpose
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is organizing an Africa-based conference that will focus on banana and plantain research across Africa: lessons learnt and the way forward. Fostering international partnerships is a major objective of the conference, with particular emphasis to establish the role of research in promoting future commercial activities and trade in banana, plantain and ensete. There is an urgent need to target basic and applied research that connects to existing and emerging markets. This unique conference will be the first pan-African meeting to link research to markets in an African context. Key priorities:
- Develop an African strategy for the next decade to exploit banana and plantain research
- Strengthen research partnerships to overcome production bottlenecks
- Harmonize research with production trends, emerging markets and trade networks
This conference is urgently needed as banana and plantain are key staple crops in rural households in Africa. They are also being increasingly targeted for income generation through improved linkages with the private sector. The conference also intends to foster research and trade experiences from other commodities. The result of this meeting will be to fully realize the potential of this crucial crop for poverty alleviation and wealth generation.
This conference is being organized in partnership with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), Bioversity International, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). We invite you to join us towards a successful and fruitful conference.
About the conference
The conference aims to attract an audience with varied but complementary experiences in order to optimize it’s impact in Africa. This conference will harness experiences from scientists and stakeholders from within and outside Africa. The Advisory Committee will be composed of internationally recognized experts to ensure the highest quality of speakers, presentations and papers. Open forum discussions and plenary presentations will be led by prominent keynote speakers and supported by presentations covering both scientific and commercial issues. Further interaction will be stimulated by a comprehensive poster session, field visits and demonstrations.
The conference will be hosted by Leisure Lodge Resort on a beautiful stretch of the Kenyan coast near Mombasa. The Resort is of the highest st andard with state-of-the-art conference and recreational facilities. A superb package of pre- and post-conference tours is available for delegates and their families.
More details
The aim is to maintain an affordable rate of approximately 250 USD for registration and 100 USD per night for full-board accommodations. In addition, support is being sought to provide scholarships to assist attendance of participants. A forthcoming announcement, including a call for abstracts and papers, is scheduled for June, which will include more specific details of costs and conference agenda.
Conference website: www.banana2008.com
Download Announcement: Musa Conference-First Announcement
